September 19, 2023 – Knowing the fundamental importance of early literacy and students' ability to read proficiently by third grade, the Georgia Department of Education is recognizing schools with exceptional achievement or growth in third-grade reading as 2022-2023 Literacy Leaders.
Schools with 90% or more of their third-grade students reading at grade level or above are being recognized for outstanding achievement, and schools with a 15% or higher increase from 2021-22 to 2022-23 are being recognized for outstanding growth.
A total of 155 schools met the qualifications to be recognized as Literacy Leaders. Seventy were recognized for achievement, 84 were recognized for growth, and one school -- Eastside Elementary School in Coweta County -- qualified in both categories.
"The ability to read opens up the doors not only to the rest of a student's education, but to their ability to continue learning throughout their life," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "That's why we are laser-focused on literacy at the Georgia Department of Education and as a state. These schools -- our Literacy Leaders -- are doing exceptional work to ensure every student is equipped with the lifelong skill of literacy, and it's an honor to recognize them."
Throughout the months of September and October, Superintendent Woods will visit selected schools identified as Literacy Leaders to recognize and congratulate them.
2022-2023 Georgia Milestones scores showed positive indicators in the area of early literacy -- particularly given the critical importance of students' ability to read by third grade. Third-grade English Language Arts (ELA) scores increased by three percentage points, while the percentage of third-grade students reading on grade level or above increased from 64 to 66 percent.
Over the last decade, GaDOE has established literacy as a core component of the agency's mission, dedicating extensive efforts and resources to the improvement of literacy instruction and attainment. Those efforts include the L4GA grant program, which leveraged more than $240 million in federal funds to move the needle on literacy; the expansion of literacy readiness instructional supports and teacher training; and the creation of a dedicated Director of Literacy role to lead GaDOE's coordinated literacy work.
Additionally, many Georgia school districts have used ESSER pandemic relief funds to make strong investments in early literacy. Literacy is also the most frequent focus area of ESSER-funded professional learning in Georgia school districts.
“I'm proud of the literacy work that is happening in classrooms across Georgia," GaDOE Director of Literacy Amy Denty said. “Honoring these 155 schools for outstanding achievement and growth shines a spotlight on the commitment our teachers and school leaders have made to ensure that every student in Georgia learns to read and read well. This is not only a celebration of literacy but also validation of the hard work of teachers and students."
Literacy Leader qualifications use the Georgia Milestones Reading Status indicator, which is based on the Lexile score associated with students' performance on a subset of questions on the ELA assessment.
2022-2023 Literacy Leaders
Atkinson County Schools
Pearson Elementary School (Growth)
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Classical Academy (Achievement)
Beecher Hills Elementary School (Growth)
Bolton Academy Elementary School (Growth)
Deerwood Academy (Growth)
Emma Hutchinson Elementary School (Growth)
F.L. Stanton Elementary School (Growth)
Jackson Elementary School (Achievement)
Joseph Humphries Elementary School (Growth)
The Kindezi School (Growth)
L.O. Kimberly Elementary School (Growth)
Mary Lin Elementary School (Achievement)
Morningside Elementary School (Achievement)
Thomas Heathe Slater Elementary School (Growth)
Westside Atlanta Charter School (Growth)
Barrow County School System
County Line Elementary School (Growth)
Holsenbeck Elementary School (Growth)
Bartow County School System
Euharlee Elementary School (Growth)
Emerson Elementary School (Growth)
Hamilton Crossing Elementary School (Growth)
Bryan County Schools
McAllister Elementary School (Achievement)
Catoosa County Public Schools
Cloud Springs Elementary School (Growth)
West Side Elementary School (Growth)
Charlton County Schools
Folkston Elementary School (Achievement)
Chattahoochee County Schools
Chattahoochee County Education Center (Growth)
Chattooga County School District
Leroy Massey Elementary School (Growth)
Lyerly Elementary School (Growth)
Cherokee County School District
Mountain Road Elementary School (Growth)
Clarke County School District
Cleveland Road Elementary School (Growth)
Clayton County Public Schools
Harper Elementary School (Growth)
Kay R. Pace Elementary School of the Arts (Growth)
Northcutt Elementary School (Growth)
Pointe South Elementary School (Growth)
West Clayton Elementary School (Growth)
Cobb County School District
Austell Elementary School (Growth)
Ford Elementary School (Achievement)
Mount Bethel Elementary School (Achievement)
Mountain View Elementary School (Achievement)
Murdock Elementary School (Achievement)
Riverside Elementary School (Growth)
Shallowford Falls Elementary School (Achievement)
Sope Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Timber Ridge Elementary School (Achievement)
Tritt Elementary School (Achievement)
Columbia County School District
North Columbia Elementary School (Achievement)
North Harlem Elementary School (Growth)
River Ridge Elementary School (Achievement)
Stevens Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Coweta County School System
Eastside Elementary School (Achievement and Growth)
DeKalb County School District
Austin Elementary School (Achievement)
Avondale Elementary School (Growth)
Dunaire Elementary School (Growth)
International Community School (Growth)
Leadership Preparatory Academy (Growth)
McLendon Elementary School (Growth)
Montgomery Elementary School (Achievement)
Museum School of Avondale Estates (Achievement)
Oak Grove Elementary School (Achievement)
Vanderlyn Elementary School (Achievement)
Douglas County School System
Mason Creek Elementary School (Growth)
North Douglas Elementary School (Growth)
Dougherty County School System
Lamar Reese School of the Arts (Growth)
Northside Elementary School (Growth)
West Town Elementary School (Growth)
Effingham County Schools
Guyton Elementary School (Growth)
Elbert County School District
Elbert County Elementary School (Growth)
Fayette County Public Schools
Braelinn Elementary School (Achievement)
Peeples Elementary School (Achievement)
Floyd County Schools
Pepperell Elementary School (Growth)
Forsyth County Schools
Daves Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Johns Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Settles Bridge Elementary School (Achievement)
Sharon Elementary School (Achievement)
Shiloh Point Elementary School (Achievement)
Franklin County Schools
Lavonia Elementary School (Growth)
Fulton County Schools
Alpharetta Elementary School (Achievement)
Amana Academy School (Achievement)
Barnwell Elementary School (Achievement)
Bethune Elementary School (Growth)
Birmingham Falls Elementary School (Achievement)
Cogburn Woods Elementary School (Achievement)
Crabapple Crossing Elementary School (Achievement)
Creek View Elementary School (Achievement)
Dolvin Elementary School (Achievement)
Fulton Academy of Science and Technology (Achievement)
Heards Ferry Elementary School (Achievement)
Heritage Elementary School (Growth)
Jackson Elementary School (Growth)
Lake Windward Elementary School (Achievement)
Mountain Park Elementary School (Achievement)
New Prospect Elementary School (Achievement)
Ocee Elementary School (Achievement)
Shakerag Elementary School (Achievement)
State Bridge Crossing Elementary School (Achievement)
Summit Hill Elementary School (Achievement)
Sweet Apple Elementary School (Achievement)
Wilson Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Glynn County Schools
Golden Isles Elementary School (Growth)
Grady County Schools
Shiver Elementary School (Growth)
Whigham Elementary School (Growth)
Griffin-Spalding County School System
Atkinson Elementary School (Growth)
Crescent Road Elementary School (Growth)
Jordan Hill Road Elementary School (Growth)
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Anderson-Livsey Elementary School (Growth)
Craig Elementary School (Achievement)
Gwin Oaks Elementary School (Achievement)
Ivy Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Level Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
Roberts Elementary School (Achievement)
Simpson Elementary School (Achievement)
Trip Elementary School (Achievement)
Habersham County School District
Level Grove Elementary School (Growth)
Harris County School District
New Mountain Hill Elementary School (Achievement)
Hart County Charter System
North Hart Elementary School (Growth)
Jackson County School District
Gum Springs Elementary School (Growth)
Maysville Elementary School (Growth)
Jefferson County Schools
Carver Elementary School (Growth)
Louisville Academy (Growth)
Liberty County School System
Frank Long Elementary School (Growth)
Macon County School System
Macon County Elementary School (Growth)
Marietta City Schools
A.L. Burruss Elementary School (Growth)
Marietta Center for Advanced Academics (Achievement)
West Side Elementary School (Achievement)
Miller County School District
Miller County Elementary School (Growth)
Muscogee County School District
Britt David Elementary Computer Magnet (Achievement)
Dawson Elementary School (Growth)
Fox Elementary School (Growth)
South Columbus Elementary School (Growth)
Oconee County Schools
Dove Creek Elementary School (Achievement)
High Shoals Elementary School (Achievement)
Rocky Branch Elementary School (Achievement)
Paulding County School District
New Georgia Elementary School (Growth)
Pierce County Schools
Patterson Elementary School (Achievement)
Quitman County School District
Quitman County Elementary School (Growth)
Richmond County School System
Walker Traditional Elementary School (Achievement)
Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools
Andrea B. Williams Elementary School (Growth)
Heard Elementary School (Growth)
Jacob G. Smith Elementary School (Growth)
Largo-Tibet Elementary School (Growth)
New Hampstead K-8 School (Growth)
Otis J. Brock III Elementary School (Growth)
Rice Creek School (Growth)
West Chatham Elementary School (Growth)
State Charter Schools
Academy for Classical Education (Achievement)
Brookhaven Innovation Academy (Growth)
Genesis Innovation Academy for Girls (Achievement)
International Charter School of Atlanta (Achievement)
Resurgence Hall Charter School (Achievement)
Toombs County School District
Toombs Central Elementary School (Growth)
Walker County School District
Fairyland Elementary School (Achievement)
Walton County School District
Atha Road Elementary School (Growth)
Ware County Schools
Memorial Drive Elementary School (Growth)
Ruskin Elementary School (Growth)
Warren County School System
Freeman Elementary School (Growth)
Whitfield County Schools
New Hope Elementary School (Achievement)
